why are they even eligible to participate in the coaches poll? what a freaking slap. Allow ohio and their trucker fans to still be arrogant about how good they are. NCAA sanctions are going to mean nothing to this program that cheated for 10 years !!!

Yuk yuk yuk, you know what I mean. Rankings will never be based on team A beat team B who beat team C. Just because one team beats another in one game doesn't mean a) that they'll be ranked higher or b) they're the better team.

MSU's record may not be very good, but I still think a win against MSU will carry some cachet with the AP voters because MSU has beaten us four straight seasons. Ending that streak sends a clear signal that the program has taken a step forward.

Then again, you could be right. State doesn't really get a whole lot of national respect even when they are winning, so maybe the voters will not think much of a UM win.

The Big East and Big 12 have a number of teams ranked above Michigan that have yet to play each other; it is unlikely that all stay ranked where they are after head-to-head games lead to some or all of them collecting some losses. Voters have not tended to give teams in the Big East (unlike *cough* the SEC) the benefit of the doubt when the lose a few league games.

#10Oklahoma has trap games @Iowa State, @West Virginia, and @TCU. They can run up the score, but they defend like Baylor.

#12Florida State should derp away another game, or maybe two, just because that's what they do. @Virginia Tech looks like the ideal game to lose, so they'll probably crush VTech and lose to Duke for no reason, lol.

#14Clemson still has VTech, NCState, and South Carolina, and they let everybody put up 4+ touchdowns on them.

The Big East teams like #16Louisville, #19Rutgers, and #21Cincy all play each other soon. We'll jump them in no time.

#17West Virginia got humiliated against a normal Texas Tech defense. At this rate losses to KState, TCU, Oklahoma, and maybe even @Iowa State are in the cards. @Oklahoma State will be Baylor round 2, and it's even remotely possible that their last game against Kansas will be their only other win this year. They're eerily reminiscent of 2009/2010 Michigan: Great out of the gate, struggling for bowl eligibilty by seasons end.

#18Texas Tech plays @KState, and @TCU next. Those 3 I expect to take turns losing to each other.

Michigan's losses are to the #1 & #5 teams in the poll, while Stanford's losses are to the #5 & an unranked U-W team. Both of Stanford's losses are more recent. The reasoning isn't there, but these things (polls) are not about reason. Better to be aware, but not care too much.

Our loss to Alabama was a blowout and when you commit six turnovers as we did at ND, that is something people remember. Both games had national coverage in prime time. I just don't see ND's ranking, but I guess it's ND.

By seasons end I expect Ohio to keep surviving and staying ranked, and then we beat them at seasons end. When we do ND will likely have already lost @Oklahoma, and just lost @USC. Can you imagine the schadenfruede when we pass 2 loss ND in the polls? Oregon against Bama for the BCSNCG, Michigan/USC for the Rose Bowl, and one loss Big12, ACC, and undefeated Big East teams in the other 3 bowls blocking ND from the BCS. Lmfao

We're going to be a slow rising team this year. Even though I think we've been just as impressive as say, Ohio State, the fact is we did lose two games early and that sets a team back.

We also don't have many chances to jump a bunch of spots due to our own performance. Two of our big games (MSU and Nebraska) are looking less and less like potential impressive victories. As of now, Ohio is the only ranked team on the schedule and they have looked as shaky as a 7-0 team can be.

We are a close #2 in the two-loss club, so we're not going to get much upward movement in the unrecognized two-loss group.

However, my rule of thumb is that if you continue winning, it takes about 3-5 weeks to halve your ranking. If we continue winning, we'll rise to a respectable ranking in the relevant-to-fan-talk polls.

I think it's still pretty fair. If we win the next game I think the needle moves a little more but again at that point State would be a sub-.500 team (please please please) so probably not much. This year everybody is right that the rankings mean next to nothing to us since no Big Ten team is getting a second BCS bid due to extenuating circumstances (lol Ohio).

If things keep going to plan then by the end of the year the Rose Bowl could be a Top 10 affair with Michigan having a somewhat decent chance to get a Rose Bowl win for the first time in a long time and a pair of BCS wins in a long, long time.

All that said let's just focus on State and beat the crap out of them, politely.

If we win out and get 2-3 spots every week, we will be top 10. I think we'll move into the top 15 if we beat MSU and Nebraska. Minn, NW, and Iowa won't be worth much, but if OSU is a no-loss or single-loss team when we beat them, we should easily jump into the top 10.

The B1G is pretty shitty this year. I have already accepted that. We could have beaten ND, I think ND and us are pretty equal, but we had to play at their place at night and it didn't go so well. Shit happens. But if we win out and win the B1G I will be pretty damn happy (but I wouldn't be surprised if we drop a game somewhere). Just take it one game at a time. Fuck the polls.

Michigan's top goal every year is and should always be to win the conference. Rankings don't matter, as long as you win the conference you will make a BCS bowl and have a shot at the NC most years. Not sure how it would shake out under the new system though.

And this is just what Brady Hoke has been saying, the first goal is to win the conference. This season, especially, shows the wisdom in that. A lot of people want the MNC to be the primary goal, but in doing that, one loss and the season's goal is already down the tubes, perhaps even in the first game of the year. Michigan still has complete control and an excellent shot to win the Big Ten. 'They don't have to worry about polls or other external factors.

UM is about where it should be, but I still don't get why some of these SEC teams are ranked so high given who they have played. Georgia may look good on paper, but they have not beaten anyone and were housed by the one team that was any good. Same with Miss. St., who has beaten Kentucky, Tennessee, and Auburn (combined 5-14). Sure, they look good on paper, but let's see how they look after playinh Alabama, , TA&M, and LSU in a couple of weeks.

But regardless, UM wins out and all is good. Otherwise, no BCS bid for the team.

I think we're clearly underrated right now. An interesting question, to me, is whether or not this is the first time we've been this underrated in the polls in the last decade or more. I'm thinking yes, but maybe others have better memories about this stuff. Anybody?

And those two losses are currently #1 and #5 (barely) I'm a little surprised we're not getting a bit more love, especially given how we've dismantled our first two conference opponents (where we all know anything can happen in conference games).